Second City Cop

Tuesday, September 26, 2017

Leaderless COPA

The head of Chicago's new police oversight agency has told Mayor Rahm Emanuel she intends to resign to run for Illinois attorney general, according to sources with knowledge of the situation.

The departure comes just 10 days after the Civilian Office of Police Accountability opened its doors, replacing the widely distrusted Independent Police Review Authority as the agency primarily responsible for investigating police uses of force and alleged misconduct.

Sharon Fairley has yet to officially resign but has informed Emanuel of her plans to leave, the sources said. Fairley, a former federal prosecutor, could not immediately be reached for comment.

Agency spokeswoman Mia Sissac said Fairley is "seriously considering" leaving the agency to run for attorney general. Sissac said that COPA is "set up to succeed" even if Fairley leaves.

After her "tour de force" as the head of the widely discredited IPRA, how could success be anything but assured? Her half-assed investigations, constant bending to political masters, all but calling officers "pigs" in the press.

Reprimand

After a weekend of sideline demonstrations that roiled football fans and a divided nation, the Chicago Police Department is investigating a photo of what appears to be two uniformed officers who were photographed “taking a knee” in the lobby of a South Side precinct.

[...]

CPD spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said Monday the department was aware of the photo.

“We are aware of the photo, and we will address it in the same way we have handled previous incidents in which officers have made political statements while in uniform, with a reprimand and a reminder of department policies,” Guglielimi said in a statement to the Chicago Sun-Times.

Golly, what a quick investigation. It's amazing that all investigations aren't completed so promptly. But don't worry, they will be. Soon. And not to our liking.

Meanwhile, no word on what will now heal the divisions in the 006th District where some officers, well aware of the Rules, refused to participate in the political theater:

In a video posted on her Instagram account, Clark complains that “European” officers refused to join her in kneeling.

“Not surprisingly, not one would kneel,” she said.

Because either (A) the "Europeans" read and follow the Rules, (B) the "Europeans" recognize when they are being used as props for a discredited cause, or (C) the "Europeans" see that a hateful ideology that has pledged to maim and kill anyone wearing a blue uniform isn't really a cause to kneel for.

Besides, it brings you down to their level where they will happily cut your throat for you.

K-9 Statue Auction

Monday, September 25, 2017

Um, What Now?

We got this in our e-mail about 30 times yesterday:

We're pretty sure there's some sort of Rule about political acts while in uniform. While representing the City of Chicago, Department of Police, you have no political affiliation, are not permitted to comment on just about anything unless duly authorized by the Superintendent of Police and certainly cannot protest in a police station of all places.

There has been at least one CR number generated in the past over an officer/supervisor appearing in uniform on political fliers. We may have even done a post on it being a bad idea. While we are unsure of the outcome of that particular instance (Chicago being a very political town), this is also a very bad idea.

Moron Bosses

Before accepting a "merit" promotion (or being offered a "merit" promotion), there ought to be some sort of competency test. Otherwise you're just endangering coppers jobs, damaging any respect from your underlings, and destroying any semblance of morale among the rank-and-file:

Last night on the 2300 blk of south Washtenaw the sd's were acting up again. They were doing the typical fuck the police and out in numbers on the blk. The calls for service came out as disturbance with the anonymous caller. Squads drove thru to try to discourage as much of the shenanigans as you could with police presence as there is no complainant and disorderly and reckless charges are invitations for lawsuits as it's not against the law to be an asshole.

Well the bosses show up- 4400 triple merit phil liebas and he gets over the radio and says lock these assholes up, he follows it with stop driving around and get out of your cars and finally follows it up with i'll sign the complaints. This boss is blocks away and can't even see the supposed disturbance but pretends he will sign complaints. He berated officers onscene because they wouldn't lock someone up for yelling profanities at the police.

3rd watch merit Lt. Hernandez Also had a closed door roll call to ask for more ISR's and began to mention that there were beat cars that did fill any out for the year and was unsure of what the hell those cars did all tour.

People are allowed to yell at the police - in fact, they are encouraged to yell at the police. With megaphones. From inches away from sensitive eardrums. By our political masters. Our peace cannot be disturbed, remember? You would think that a multiple "merit" captain of police, himself the subject of numerous civil suits, might remember that.

And did the "merit" Lt ever think of asking the officers what the officers did all tour? Or would that mean actually interacting with his subordinates? Can't have that! Might as well do the passive/aggressive thing rather than put an actual quota on paper and tell the ACLU to fuck off because you know how to be the police.

Maybe they could ask 1699 for advice on how to use PDT messages to supervise?

Sunday, September 24, 2017

Last Day for K-9 Statues

From the CPMF:

The Chicago Police Memorial Foundation invites you to take advantage of the warm summer-like weather this weekend by heading to the Magnificent Mile for one last trip to see the beautiful K9s statues, modeled after those utilized by the Chicago Police Department's Canine Unit. After two months on display, the K9s guarding the streets will be headed to their new homes early next week.

Interested in owning your own K9? Some of the K9s, including all of those designed to honor Chicago's professional sports teams, will be up for auction starting Monday, September 25, 2017 at 9:00 a.m. The auction will run through October 4, at noon. Please visit www.chicagok9s.com for more information.

No idea what these would go for price-wise, but someone wrote to us that one designed for a Chicago Cub fundraiser went for over $20,000 a few weeks ago.

12 Month Gains Lost in 30 Days

In one month, Illinois manufacturing sector lost all of the jobs it had gained in the last 12 months, marking one of the worst employment reports for the state's lagging economy since the recession.

A preliminary report released by the Illinois Department of Employment Security shows August saw 3,000 lost manufacturing jobs. This loss of employment is the worst month in Illinois since fall of 2009. The unemployment rate also rose to 5 percent.

Overall, the state lost a net 3,700 jobs in August. Illinois has averaged 100 jobs lost per month since March.

While some sectors gained, Illinois' leisure and hospitality industry lost 9,900 jobs. Some job losses in that industry are common in the fall when tourism wanes. But IDES Spokesman Bob Gough says losing 3,000 manufacturing jobs is troubling.

"The manufacturing sector has been a tough road to hoe for a number of years now," he said. "But any way you slice it, the state's economy is stuck in neutral, and that's a kind way to put it."

Someone doesn't know their idioms (you don't have a "tough road to hoe." That breaks tools. It's a farming term - "tough row to hoe"). Maybe it was the reporter.

In any event, manufacturing firms are still fleeing Illinois faster than jobs can be created, and the business climate (read "tax code") is the main reason. Every single level of government is full of out-of-control spending and their only solution to a decreasing tax base is to soak those remaining until they, too, decide to leave. Death Spiral is the term often used, and it's in full swing.

Saturday, September 23, 2017

Way to Go Kimmy

A career criminal, sentenced to a combined 67 years in prison since 1983 and currently on parole, allegedly walked into a Boystown convenience store Monday, entered the walk-in cooler, took a Coors Light, and headed for the door.

When a clerk asked him to pay, 55-year-old Wayne Jones pulled out a collapsible baton and threatened him, police said.

Despite the fact that Jones took the beer while threatening the clerk with bodily harm—the very definition of “robbery,”—a Cook County State’s Attorney refused to charge the fourteen-time convicted felon with the crime, police said.

Instead, Jones is being charged with retail theft, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and two counts of being a felon in possession of a weapon. A judge set his bail at $100,000.

Our math says if he had actually served the 67 years he had been sentenced to starting in 1983, he'd be a guest of the state until 2050. Seeing as how he's out among the public, he's no where near a prison. And Kimmy still won't charge him.

Lincoln Square - No Cops

A spike in robberies and burglaries has Lincoln Square neighbors on edge, prompting renewed calls for more police in the area.

With a string of armed robberies and groping incidents fresh on their minds, residents packed a CAPS community policing meeting Tuesday night at Sulzer Library.

The sense that criminals are, in the words of one speaker, "running amok" in the area had many of those in attendance questioning the perceived absence of police presence and complaining about response times.

Guess how many went to this neighborhood?

But of a recent group of 100 recruits, none were assigned to the Town Hall District, Sims said.

"We have no control over how many police are assigned to the district," added CAPS officer [MH].

One would hope that these citizens will remember exactly who abandoned their neighborhoods to the criminal element when Election Day rolls around, but history tells us that they won't - at least on the local level.

Mo' Money, Mo' Money

The Fraternal Order of Police has asked the Illinois Labor Relations Board to stop the city from changing the Chicago Police Department’s use-of-force policy, a key reform as the department tries to improve its reputation and relationship with Chicago residents.

Details about the implementation of the policy were unveiled Thursday and officers have begun training in the new procedures. The FOP, which represents rank-and-file CPD officers, says implementing the new policy violates its contract because the changes were not negotiated with the union.

We won't charge them the full $100 since it was a press release, but $50 to the Chaplains ought to cover it for being behind the curve.

Friday, September 22, 2017

FOP Files Against COPA

And let the fireworks begin (click for a larger READABLE version):

Lest anyone miss the point, the entire new Use of Force policy, from construction to disciplinary enforcement, was put together without any input from the FOP and almost no input from the rank-and-file. Lawyers and bean counters failed to survey other Departments, and dismissed/disregarded the input from those who actually did seek out "best practices" to find what actually worked in real life.

Laughable List

This reads like a "Who's Who" of politically connected, married to, bedroom antics, drinking buddies, and fuck-ups beyond compare (click for larger versions):

This is filling us with so much confidence. Just the amount of lawsuits already paid out for some of these names might color our thinking of where to bid to next in the hopes of scoring a few tens of thousands of dollars in payouts. There are people on this list who haven't seen the back of a Watch Operations Lt's desk or served a day as a Field Lt. in their careers, yet they're going to be expected to run a watch within Orders, Policy and by Contracts that they have never lived by.

Back to School!

Beginning next year, every Chicago cop will undergo hours of training each year, the first regular training for many since graduating from the police academy as new recruits.

The ambitious plan laid out by the Police Department on Thursday calls for the training to expand to 40 hours a year for every officer beginning in 2021, up from 16 hours next year. It comes as the department also attempts to add 1,000 officers to its force by the end of next year — recruits who all must undergo months of training before hitting the street.

In 2019, officers will attend 24 hours of training; 32 hours will be required in 2020. In 2021, 40 hours of training will be mandatory for officers.

This is something the FOP asked for years ago - back in the 1990's if we aren't mistaken. The FOP proposed something like six training dates or something similar (we weren't paying as close attention as we should have back then). The City pretty much told the FOP to take a hike. But now, the City is falling all over itself to get us training that should have been given years ago.

Makes Sense, but....

A Southwest Side alderman has called on the Chicago Police Department to change the way it handles its broader street gang database system.

Ald. Raymond Lopez (15th) said the database is too cumbersome, and is deeply flawed, because people might be listed who shouldn’t be.

The alderman said the department should notify the 340,000 people currently on its wider gang database that they’re on the list, and give them a chance to prove they’re not connected in any way to a gang and to have their names removed from the list.

According to whose standards though? Because a gang bangers wouldn't have any incentive to lie, right? Are we talking about full body searches for tattoos? Sworn affidavits from three upstanding citizens, a priest not Phleger and a verifiable revenue stream that is proved to IRS specifications?

Or is Ray just looking to expand his definition of "innocent lives" in case of another shooting to recoup political support?

Another Flushing Sound

Thursday, September 21, 2017

Make Up Your Damn Minds

With much fanfare, a new Police/Fire Academy was introduced on the West Side last month. It promises to improve and update training, giving officers more "hands on" type scenario-based training and addressing a giant shortfall brought to light in the Department of Justice Report. New facility, construction jobs, better trained police - it's a win-win. Great news, right?

Plans for a state-of-the-art $95 million training facility for Chicago police and fire recruits advanced Wednesday after winning the endorsement of a key city panel.

While the Chicago Plan Commission unanimously approved the plan to buy the 30-acre site at 4301 W. Chicago Ave. in Garfield Park for $9.6 million, a coalition of groups rallied outside Mayor Rahm Emanuel's fifth-floor City Hall office urging that the plan be shelved and the money spent on schools and community redevelopment efforts.

Monica Trinidad, a member of the People’s Response Team, which is part of the "No Cop Academy" effort, said the money would be better spent on restoring cuts made to Chicago Public Schools' budgets or reopening mental health clinics closed by Emanuel.

"We aren't falling for Rahm's charade," Trinidad said. "Don't expand CPD when we are strangled in our own communities."

You Go Girl

Black women in Chicago are coming to the realization that the best defense is a good offense.

Despite Democrat leadership in the crime-ridden city imploring citizens to let law enforcement handle the exploding crime, residents — primarily black women — are thinking for themselves and buying guns for self defense.

The Chicago Tribune reported that nearly 1,400 black women in Illinois have received concealed carry permits in 2017. That number has gone up since last year and is almost twice the 800 who did so in 2014. More than 4,000 black women currently have a concealed carry permit in Cook County alone, where Chicago is located.

The first step to throwing off the government yoke is to realize that you, and you alone, are responsible for your own opinions, actions and safety. The second step is to stop voting for democrats/dependency.

This Explains a Lot

Long before she was Queen Sugar, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle was an opponent of small business owner/operators responsible for 2/3rds of the jobs in this country.

In a forum Dan Proft moderated in 2013, former Utah State Sen. Dan Liljenquist told the story of when he met with Preckwinkle about the Institute for Justice's Clinic for Entrepreneurship during which she said,

"I'm opposed to self employment. You give these people false hopes that they could ever earn a living on their own."

Wednesday, September 20, 2017

Tribune - Explain This Please

So we're paging through the Tribune website yesterday and came across the article about a recent payout to people (or folks) who admitted to shooting a gun off the back porch on New Years Eve. We aren't going to go over the case, but for some reason the comment section was wide open (to paying subscribers) and a dozen or more people had taken advantage of it.

We also read the latest about Freezer-girl. And we noticed that the comment sections were closed.

The Tribune helpfully linked to other articles about Freezer-girl as part of their "gin-up-the-outrage" tour and guess what we found? Not a single article - out of six or seven posted on a near-daily basis for a week now - had the comment section open.

Zero.

Why is that? We're just curious. We know that reporters are, by and large, liberal types. And they slant their coverage the way they wish it to go. And many of our readers have noted over the years that any article that can paint the police in a bad light has open comments while anything that might disrupt the perennial victim narrative never seems to have comments enabled. But this one really takes the cake.

Would they care to admit why?

UPDATE: The Tribune published an article just five hours ago and guess what? The comments are open for the first time! The headline?

Kenneka Jenkins case highlights mistrust of police

Seriously. As if the police had anything to do with a drunken teenager renting a room with a stolen credit card, plying her with liquor, X and who knows what else, made her stagger off away from her "friends," who then obstruct the police who were looking for her. What a bunch of assholes.

UPDATE: And the comments are down! The morons at the Tribune are desperate to steer this coverage for some reason. The coments must not have been part of the greater "narrative" being spun, so down the memory-hole they go.

Retiree Update

From an e-mail for some readers who were asking about it via the Krislov lawsuit:

Judge Cohen was furious with the City’s claim that it will take about 19 weeks for each year 2014, 2015 and 2016 to complete each audit, and that one cannot be started until the preceding year is completed. He chewed the city out for its slow reconciliation;

rejected the city’s submission that it will take 19 weeks for each year , one after the other, (i.e., more than a year to complete 2014-2016) to get the audit and reconciliation done for each year;

and was bothered as well by the Funds’ lack of concrete responses about the plans for 2018.

He ordered everyone back on 9/26 at 10:00AM, to report on both, or he will order a full hearing on the city’s actions. We’ll see. He also ordered the Funds (although not the City) to copy us with all communications sent to participants regarding retiree healthcare. You can let us know if you receive anything from any of them, including the City.

The main focus is still on our pending petition with the Illinois Supreme Court, which we filed on September 7. So the City and Funds’ responses should be due September 28. We’ll likely want to reply; we’ll keep you posted.

We continue to believe that the most compelling group of you are the class 3a people whose City work did not qualify them for medicare coverage, and we are considering taking another shot at asking for an injunction against the City or Funds adversely changing the existing plan during the litigation. This popped up because the Municipal and Laborers Funds’ attorneys said that their funds were not required to provide coverage, municipal was especially noncommittal. I reminded Judge Cohen about his declaring that it is the funds’ who have primary obligation to provide healthcare coverage to annuitants, and they appear to be disavowing any such obligation. We may file something on this before the 26th. Those of you who are in the class 3a and don’t qualify for medicare might want to show up for the September 26 hearing.

Hope this answers some of the questions. We don't have the answers and the only real answers are going to come from the lawyers, so drop them a line at KrislovLaw.com

Welcome Home Eddie!

Former Chicago police Sgt. Eddie Hicks was arrested in Detroit Tuesday morning, nearly 15 years after he fled on the eve of trial on federal drug conspiracy charges.

Hicks, 68, has been the subject of an international manhunt since 2003, according to the FBI. He appeared in federal court in Detroit on Tuesday and was ordered held until he can be brought to Chicago to face the charges.

A 29-year veteran of the police force, Hicks was charged in Chicago in 2001 with running a crew of rogue officers who robbed drug dealers, pocketed the illicit cash and sold the stolen drugs to other pushers. Hicks fled the country on the eve of his trial in 2003. At the time, authorities said he was presumed to have traveled to Brazil.

Better start naming names there Eddie. Who you were kicking up to, who was covering for you and who got word to you to leave town. Either way, you're probably going to prison for the rest of your life.

Tuesday, September 19, 2017

This Moron Again?

This appeared on 016 District PDT's not too long ago (click for larger versions):

ISR's again? Fine, whoop-de-doo. But a month later, this crossed a line (we've blacked out the names):

That's fifteen names broadcast to co-workers (and archived to FOIA-able databases) to what end? Oh yeah, to attempt to embarrass and humiliate - the mark of a true tool of a supervisor. And it appears to skirt the boundaries of State law, specifically 65 ILCS 5/11-1-12:

A municipality may not, for purposes of evaluating a police officer's job performance, compare the number of citations issued by the police officer to the number of citations issued by any other police officer who has similar job duties. [emphasis added]

So if someone would like to bring this to the attention of Lt. Kohnen, 016th District so as not to jeopardize his career options, he'd might appreciate the heads up. The Acting Superintendent might want to re-send that "No Quotas" AdMin Fax message again.

New Blog - Bucktown Crime Data

The author has been a correspondent of ours for a while now, and is the person behind a lot of the graphs and spreadsheets we post occasionally. He's branching out. And while his blog may concentrate on the Bucktown area (014), we're hoping that he'll continue with the number crunching and statistical analysis that allows everyone to spot the trends Rahm pretends aren't existing.

The link is on the right hand side, right under HeyJackass.com. Good luck to you.

Nepotism Alive and Well

Could the daughter of one Democratic political powerhouse replace another as Illinois attorney general?

It’ll happen if the City Council’s elder statesman has his way.

Cook County Democratic Chairman Joe Berrios said he got a courtesy call over the weekend from Ald. Edward Burke (14th) to let him know that Burke’s daughter would be circulating nominating petitions to run for attorney general.

Berrios initially identified the daughter as Jennifer Burke. Neither Jennifer Burke nor her father could be reached for comment. They work together at the law firm of Klafter and Burke.

Burle must have seen what a great job Lisa did covering up and failing to investigate all of her dad's crimes, so Burke decided he's gotta get a piece of that covering up his assorted legal missteps as outlined in Cooley's book "When Corruption Was King."

That Didn't Take Long

Police in Rosemont on Monday said the investigation into the death of Kenneka Jenkins, the teenager who was found dead in a hotel walk-in freezer Sept. 10, would remain in their hands despite requests from activists that an outside agency become involved.

A statement from Police Chief Donald E. Stephens III released Monday night said, “this investigation has been and remains the utmost priority for us.”

Given that the former mayor, current police chief and convention center all share the same name, not to mention all of the Outfit characters running around, having the feds come in was certainly not in the cards. But it's still the right call.

Monday, September 18, 2017

Bad Idea Moves Forward

Chief Cook County Judge Timothy Evans on Friday announced he is replacing the half-dozen judges who preside over bond hearings at the Leighton Criminal Courthouse–a sweeping change and the latest move to reform the cash bond system that critics say leaves poor and minority defendants locked up on low-level charges.

The move by Evans comes two months after he issued an order, which takes effect Monday, that bond court judges are required to set bail in amounts defendants can afford to pay.

“As we continue our efforts to enhance the pretrial process in Cook County, this new division will play an important role in upholding the court’s focus on justice and fairness,” Evans said in a statement emailed to reporters Friday.

What about the fairness to crime victims?

Bond is supposed to be an inconvenience - you show up at each and every court date OR you lose the money, securities, property used to secure your appearance. It isn't what you can afford - it's what the Court feels is necessary (via pain of forfeiture) to force compliance.

Any "reporters" asking how many people are currently on Electronic Monitoring that Dart can't find? Here's a hint - well over 500 and closing on 1,000.

Any "reporters" asking how many people are currently let to bond for what used to be known as "forcible felonies"? The number is "many thousands."

And are there any "reporters" asking how many warrants are currently in the Cook County system for persons who decided to sleep in and miss court? We'll give you another hint - begin at 10,000 serviceable warrants and start guessing north of that number.

But hey, let's just start asking criminals, who are as honest as any Cook County politician, how much they can "afford" and let's see how high those numbers can go.....along with the crime rate.

Our city was founded on a swamp by entrepreneurs every bit as audacious as Bezos, the founder of Amazon.com. It was built by people of every color and background who worked hard, smart and long. It looks back for inspiration, in the same way Bezos looks back to Thomas Edison and Walt Disney, but leans into the future.

Really? Because the "other" narrative is that Chicago is a racist town, built on the back of exploited minorities, who still can't get a fair shake. At least, if you read Mope-rah, Dope-rah and all the assorted grievance-mongers on a daily basis.

If Bezos chooses Chicago for Amazon’s second headquarters, known as “HQ2,” the company will need to do no more than live by its own corporate values — and both it and the city will thrive. Amazon represents the next chapter in the kind of quintessentially American disruptive innovation that has been Chicago’s whole story. Amazon, a company taking on the world, would find an ideal home in Chicago, a commercial hub for the world.

Someone is about to say "Chicago values" and we're going to have to slap them in the head.

Amazon requires a quick commute to an international airport. Obviously, Chicago’s got that.

Amazon requires close proximity to major highways, and Chicago’s got that.

Amazon requires 8 million square feet of space, [...]

Amazon requires a “highly educated labor pool” and a “strong university system,” and Chicago is powerfully strong on both counts.

Um, yeah. The airport leads the nation in delays most years. The major highways are potholed disasters that exist only to be repaired on a rotating basis. 8 million feet of office space is available because companies are leaving. CPS graduation rates keep rising only because of CompStat type accounting numbers and something like 75% of "graduates" can't read at their grade level. The numbers point to a massive failure of leadership, infrastructure and corruption.

Amazon also is looking for a “stable and business-friendly climate.”

Yeah, that one gave us pause.

It should give everyone pause - especially a company looking to make money.

Then, of course, there is the crucial question of the quality of life, which frankly is Chicago’s ace card. If it is Amazon’s aim, as the company’s request for proposals says, to set up shop in “a community where our employees will enjoy living,” Chicago is hard to beat. We are a proudly multicultural city of great diversity and tolerance, and rich in culture both high and low, from festivals to theater to professional sports to museums to the symphony to art galleries to bike rides along the city’s stunning lakefront.

Quality of life? We hardly know where to start. We’ll have to write more on that later.

Meaning, "Pay no attention to those pesky 500-to-700 murders every year for the past three or four decades (minus one year). Those wilding teens knocking over little old ladies on the north side? Not an issue! The others riding the Red Line up from the south side to beat up the alternative lifestyle folks in and around Wrigleyville? We call those folks the "Rahmish" after our lovely mayor. And four people slaughtered by rifle fire? It's "cultural!"

Would it be nice to have a big company like Amazon here with the potential tens of thousands of jobs? Sure. But let's not pretend that their corporate and legal teams are looking at exactly these types of issues. Amazon might be better off west of O'Hare where land is cheaper, taxes are lower and Chicago is an exciting place held at arm's length.

St Louis Riots

Following the acquittal of former police officer Jason Stockley for the shooting for Anthony Smith, St. Louis officials spoke out about the verdict, and appear to be promoting civil unrest or worse.

“I want you to prepare and brace yourself for what’s about to come,” an activist said at a press conference after the verdict. “We’ve said it before. When we don’t get justice, we will get peace. Prepare yourselves.”

St. Louis Alderman John Collins-Muhammad then got up to speak.

“Until Black people in this city get justice. Until we get a seat at the table. There will be no peace in this city,” he said. “Everywhere you look, black people are being shot down by police, cops get off, get a pay raise, and nothing happens.”

“We want justice today. We want justice for every black man, every black woman that has died at the hands of police, that has died at the hands of a racist white privilege system and institution set up for the black man and black woman to fail. No more of that! That will change, right here today!”

“JUSTICE OR ELSE,” Alderman Collins-Muhammad screamed as he finished.

Really? Because everywhere we look, black people are being killed by.....other black people. And not by a little ratio either - something on the order of 50-to-1 in most places. And of that minuscule percentage, something like 99% of the deceased were shooting, stabbing or otherwise attacking police.

It isn't just judges finding Officers have acted within the scope of their authority, granted by law. It's juries, too. Also, outside agencies including the actual Department of Justice.

Here's a strange thought - even though we and officers across the nation complain about the quality and quantity of training received by those in our profession (the result of ruthless budget cuts by know-nothing politicians), maybe, just maybe, Officers as a whole, know far more about what the law says and what the law allows than some two-bit pandering, asshole politicians and uneducated activist might think they know? Maybe Officers are ::OMG:: getting it correct 999 times out of 1,000?

And while Officers strive (and continue to strive) to get to that impossible perfect score of 1,000 out of 1,000, the "community" throws its support and faux "outrage" behind:

500....and Counting

The four-bagger this Friday evening pushed Chicago over the 500 mark for the ....well, probably like 80th year in a row or something. HeyJackass has the totals at 506 although the Department is hiding a few, insisting it's "only" 496.

Investigate What?

A memorial to honor the life of a West Side teenager found dead in the walk-in freezer at a suburban hotel turned into a protest march and a plea for federal authorities to take over the investigation.

About 100 people, led by the mother of Kenneka Jenkins, 19, who was found dead last Sunday inside the freezer at the Crowne Plaza O'Hare & Conference Center in Rosemont, gathered Saturday in Douglas Park.

From the park, about 30 people snarled eastbound traffic on Roosevelt Road as they marched east to the FBI's Chicago field office on a sunny afternoon. Through chants, group members said they were dissatisfied with hotel videos released by Rosemont police on Friday.

Activists threatened 30 days of protests outside the Crowne Plaza hotel if they weren't given the "full" version of the tape, saying they had only seen small, possibly doctored versions.

"We're here at the FBI building asking for a second look," activist Mark Carter told reporters among a crowd of supporters at the front gate of the FBI office on the Near West Side.

First of all, death investigations aren't wrapped up in 48 minutes (with 12 minutes of commercials.) Toxicology reports take weeks at times, video has to be located, viewed, archived, witnesses have to be interviewed (many of whom are NOT cooperating with Rosemont police for some odd reason). Then there's the mystery of who rented the hotel room, who bought the liquor (and maybe drugs) that may have been ingested by underage individuals.

So what is the FBI going to investigate? Everything known at the moment points to an accidental death driven by all sorts of bad life choices. There are no Civil Rights issues, nothing like a Mann Act violation, no kidnapping. There isn't even a hint that Rosemont is doing anything except conducting a death investigation under their rules, policies and the law. Hell, Andrew Holmes went on TV and told everyone exactly what he viewed on the video to the dismay of the family attorney.

Occam's razor is a philosophic principle that states in part that if there are two explanations, the simpler one is usually the correct one. But not in the "blame anyone but me!" school of thought, fed by media attention, YouTube and FacebookLive bullshit.

Aren't there a crapload of political corruption cases that ought to be investigated locally?

Interesting Idea

Baltimore will consider offering a property tax break to local police and firefighters.

The Baltimore Sun reported Monday that officials believe the relief would entice more emergency responders to live in the city. It would also help the city financially while fostering more trust between safety officials and the public.

The tax break would be $2,500 for a public safety employee who owns a home in the city. It would include sheriff's deputies as well as police and firefighters.

It might - MIGHT - expand the pool of applicants up from the miserable showings of the past ten or fifteen years. It would have to be doubled though.

Anyone See Divvy's Books?

In 2016, the city of Baltimore partnered with Bewegen Technologies to launch North America’s largest electrical-assisted cycling (or pedelec) bike sharing program. The system is located in Baltimore’s metropolitan area with over 25 stations available. Fast forward one-year later, this grand "sharing economy" experiment in America’s most dangerous city has imploded due to what the company's CEO says is a level of theft he has never experienced before.

As of today, Baltimore officials have suspended all operations of the bike fleet until October 15, 2017. According to the Baltimore Sun, the temporary shutdown is due to “thieves ripping the bicycles out at an unprecedented pace”, said Alain Ayotte, CEO of Bewegen Technologies, the Canadian manufacturer. The manufacturer of the $2.36 million Baltimore Bike Share system said his company has "never experienced the level of theft" that caused officials to announce a temporary shutdown of the program to allow additional locking devices to be installed to the bike docks.

We're seeing less bikes in docks and more Divvy vans picking up damaged bikes at locking stations. We're also seeing Rahm continue with the Bike Lane spending spree (over $100,000 per mile?) Is Chicago making any sort of money on this? Is any reporter looking into this or are they just waiting by the phone for the next hit piece authored by City Hall?